Burn CAS011 Prepared by Elaine Bayes and Chris Johnston, LEAF (Living with Ecology And Fire) Burn Map Burn Details Size: 257.6ha Zone: LMZ – Autumn 2015 (TBC) Purpose of Burn: Fuel reduction Forest type: Box Ironbark Comments: This large burn directly adjoins the Muckleford Conservation Reserve to the west. It includes the previously burnt east‐west ‘fire break’ which was last burnt in 1995 and 2007 and comprises about 25% of the proposed burn area. We note that the Conservation Reserve was burnt by wildfire in 1982 FOP comments: FOBIF expressed concern at the impact of the 2011 burn in the Muckleford Forest and asked how this burn would “complement works” in adjacent areas and “assist in ecological resilience and regeneration”. The Muckleford Forest submission sought ‘a review of the approach and areas proposed to Included in this forest is one special management area that be targeted, including community involvement provide specific protection for large old trees, historic workings in determining the approach to be taken’ for this and fauna sites) and the Muckleford Nature Conservation area of forest. Reserve. 154/05 SMZ 63 Fauna Refuge, Historic Site (Dunn’s Reef Along with the 2012 Muckleford Forest burns, Workings) the proposed Donkeys Farm Track burn, this large burn and will increase the percentage of This is within the proposed burn area. the Muckleford Forest burnt within a short period to an unacceptable level. This forest supports a number of threatened species some of We note the significant mining features in the which may be adversely impacted by prescribed burns. Tuans forest. for example appear to be thriving in parts of these forests (Peter Johnston, DEPI survey, reported in Midland Express Recovery in this forest requires reduction on 28/5/2013). But the lack of mature, hollow–bearing trees means the frequency of planned burns to allow for a these animals survive by using other hollows – in stumps and greater range of growth stages to develop. coppiced trees which are commonly burnt out in prescribed [Sources: DEPI Biodiversity Interactive map burns. database; Fire History maps – DSE; FOBIF submission] We are concerned about the ecological impacts of this burn, located adjoining the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve, and to designated Special Management Areas (mentioned above). 1 The following lists include species on DEPI’s Flora and Fauna Database. However…. There are MANY known locations of threatened species which DEPI have not put on the database (up to a 5 year lag time). These species are at risk of being ignored in a burn. Particularly important information is in the report done with royal commission funding which covered the entire state and cost $1.6 Million and included hundreds‐thousands of new locations. None of these have been added and they include important local sites. o All the data (248 records of 49 species) has not been entered from the 2011 ‘Surveys for rare and threatened flora species North West of Melbourne (for Arthur Rylah Institute, DSE). All the data (735 threatened flora records of 244 plant species and 199 threatened fauna records of 48 sp). ‘Collection of floristic & zoological data from volunteer groups in Victoria’, July 2011 (for Arthur Rylah Institute, DSE). There are MANY UNKNOWN locations of threatened species as DEPI has not carried out any monitoring in LMZ burn areas, therefore all these species and communities will be at risk. The process does not include protection of habitat features for mobile threatened species like Powerful Owls, Phascogales, Barking Owls, Swift Parrots, all of which are highly likely to occur in all the LMZ proposed burn areas. Threatened Animals in CAS011 Victoria could be facing a wave of extinctions 100 species of birds, 13 species of mammals, 5 species of frogs and one reptile was recorded in this burn area. following a dramatic crash in bird numbers in the Box‐Ironbark forests of northern and central 12 of these are listed as threatened under Federal and State Legislation and DSE Advisory List. Victoria over the past five years(VNA, 2009). Federally threatened and legally protected by law (EPBC Act): A systematic study across northern and central o Swift Parrot (ENDANGERED) Victoria (covering a 30,000 km2 region) over the past 15 years has shown that about two‐thirds of State threatened and legally protected by law (FFG bird species, including lorikeets, pardalotes, Act). thornbills and honeyeaters, have o Hooded Robin declined dramatically (VNA, 2009). o Crested Bellbird o Diamond Firetail o Speckled Warbler These threatened birds need: o Brush‐tailed Phascogale Leaf litter, logs and branches which host Listed as threatened under DSE advisory list. insects and seeds o Black‐chinned Honeyeater (near Structure and diversity in the ground and threatened) understorey o Brown Treecreeper (near threatened) Shrub and grass layer to feed on bugs and o Spotted Quail‐thrush (near threatened) seeds o Brown Quail Many need hollows to roost and nest in, of all o Hardhead shapes and sizes; in living and dead trees; tree o Musk Duck stumps and even in fallen timber. Hollows can take a hundred or more years to form, The Hooded Robin, Diamond Firetail and many other birds in CAS011 are Temperate Woodland Species which as a community are also listed as threatened under state FFG legislation. Data from Flora Information System and Victorian Fauna Database, March 2014 2 Diamond Swift Parrot Firetails Nationally Home range is Endangered 2‐20 hectares and longest Photo Chris Tzaros movement 5 km. Where will they go? Photo BA, 2005 Crested Bellbird State Threatened Photo: by Feathers and Photos Hooded Robins Tuans need hollows to breed, shrubs, State litter and debris to forage and feed Threatened safely. Photo: http://birdway.com.au/index.htm Threatened Woodland Birds 1 in 5 woodland bird species in Australia are now threatened. Under the Victorian FFG Act, the Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird Community is listed as a threatened ecological community and is defined as a group of bird species characteristically and commonly found within Box‐Ironbark and other vegetation types. This includes the three bird species listed above. A number of studies and other projects have demonstrated that this community has been significantly reduced in its distribution and continues to decline (e.g. Robinson and Traill 1996, Bennett et al 2006, Radford et al 2005). Woodlands are meant to be ‘messy’, with young and old trees, dead stags, shrubs, grasses and other ground cover, logs, twigs and bark, and open grassy patches. Trees, understorey and litter not only benefit birds but improve ecosystem services that provide clean water, healthy soil, climate stability, natural control of diseases and resilience to drought. birds of temperate woodlands are among the most threatened in the country(Birds Australia, 2005) 3 Threatened Plant Species within RARE CAS0011 Goldfield Boronia Two rare plants (DSE advisory list) were recorded: Boronia anemonifolia subsp. aurifodina Photo: Viridans RARE Whirrakee Wattle , Acacia williamsonii Photo: Viridans Plants and Animals in CAS011 Burn Area First three columns indicates rarity of species and Legislation under which it is protected. FFG = listed as threatened under Victorian Legislation (Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act), EPBC = listed as threatened under Federal Legislation (EPBC, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act) indicates hightest level of protection. VROTS = DSE Advisory List (which has no legal power but provides best available advise). Animal List from Victorian Fauna Database March 2014 CAS011 FFG EPBC VROTS Common Name Scientific Name Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen Australian Raven Corvus coronoides Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata Black Swan Cygnus atratus n Black‐chinned Honeyeater Melithreptus gularis Black‐faced Cuckoo‐shrike Coracina novaehollandiae Black‐fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops Black‐tailed Native‐hen Gallinula ventralis Brown Falcon Falco berigora Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus n Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla Brown Treecreeper (south‐eastern Climacteris picumnus n ssp.) victoriae Brown‐headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris Buff‐rumped Thornbill Acanthiza reguloides Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera f n Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis Crested Shrike‐tit Falcunculus frontatus Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans elegans 4 f v Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis Eurasian Coot Fulica atra *European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Fan‐tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis Fuscous Honeyeater Lichenostomus fuscus Galah Eolophus roseicapilla Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscarpa Grey Shrike‐thrush Colluricincla harmonica v Hardhead Aythya australis Hoary‐headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus f n Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata Horsfield's Bronze‐Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos Little Raven Corvus mellori Long‐billed Corella Cacatua tenuirostris Magpie‐lark